Citizen Science to Promote Coastal Resource Management Strategies: A Pre-Feasibility Study on the Willingness and Ability of Resort Guests to Pay for Citizen-Based Reef Monitoring Activities in Binukbok Point, Philippines.

Abstract

Citizen science can provide long-term solutions in data generation in the Philippines, where regular and widescale data monitoring is often lacking. However, despite its cost-effectiveness, it still comprises costs in technical equipment, labor, and/or consultancy which can be costly for communities that may not have enough operational and financial resources to sustain it. Tourism, as one of the largest and fastest growing economic sectors in the world, serves as great avenue for citizen science not only to generate a pool of participants but also to build greater public awareness and civic participation in coastal ecosystems. The possibilities to finance this initiative through an additional user fee added especially in monitoring activities in tourism areas are assessed through a willingness and ability to pay study in Binukbok Point, Philippines. Fifteen respondents—equally divided into SCUBA/recreational divers, freedivers/skin divers, and non-divers/snorkelers—are identified in this study for a conduct of focus-group interviews to identify their perceptions on different variables and to gather their willingness to pay bids. These bids—as well as a base price of ₱100—are also evaluated to look into whether they can truly afford to pay for additional user fees. This study reveals that visitors are willing to pay for an additional user fee. However, transparency and accountability factor considerably in their decision: Visitors are willing to pay so long as changes in the area are visible and usage of fees is transparently disclosed. While visitors are willing to pay for an additional user fee, they are able to afford only a limited range of values with a maximum tolerance around ₱100 to financially sustain this undertaking. Future willingness to pay studies are recommended to add ability to pay assessments.